6057 Wood wasp

6057   Hi, Quinten here. This was flying around our backyard today….Live in Kamloops, BC

This is a wood wasp (also known as a horntail), Hymenoptera: Siricidae; specifically, it is Urocerus flavicornis. These are harmless to humans; what appears to be a stinger is its ovipositor, used to place its eggs in wood (usually pines) where their larvae develop – see https://tinyurl.com/yakkgfom for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.